§ Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will calculate the total percentage reduction in the number of days at sea proposed by the European Commission for 2003 for vessels capturing and landing(a) over 100 tonnes of cod and (b) less than 100 tonnes of cod in the (i) North Sea, (ii) Irish Sea, (iii) West of Scotland Waters, (iv) ICES Area VIId and (v) ICES Area VIIe; [85504]
(2) if she will calculate the percentage reduction in the number of days at sea proposed by the European Commission for 2003 for vessels capturing and landing (a) over 100 tonnes of hake and (b) less than 100 tonnes of hake in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea area covering the northern hake stock. [85503]
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§ Mr. MorleyThe Commission has now adjusted its proposal and no longer envisages a distinction between vessels landing over 100 tonnes of cod or hake and others. We are seeking clarification of the Commission's proposals before undertaking the calculation requested.
§ Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements are proposed by the European Commission for 2003 to restrict fishing effort for the capture of cod and landing of cod using static gear as a method of capture in the(a) North Sea, (b) West of Scotland Waters, (c) Irish Sea and (d) ICES Area VII. [85505]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Commission proposal for effort control envisages limitation of vessels by kilowatt/days. However, the Commission has also indicated that as part of its proposals to reduce discards, it will bring forward proposals next year for technical measures aimed specifically at limiting effort by static gear.
§ Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions are being proposed by the European Commission to the number of days at sea during 2003 for vessels under 10 metres in overall length capturing and landing cod in the ICES Sea Areas(a) North Sea, (b) Irish Sea, (c) West of Scotland Waters, (d) Area VIId and (e) Area VIIe. [85506]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Commission proposals envisage cuts in the total number of kw/days for each Member State whose vessels fish cod or hake. However, the Commission proposes that it should be left to Member States to determine which vessels should be restricted in their time at sea and thus whether under 10 metre vessels should be subject to controls.
§ Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what restrictions are being proposed by the European Commission for 2003 for vessels capturing and landing cod within the UK 6—mile and 6–12 mile limit in the sea areas(a) North Sea, (b) Irish Sea, (c) West of Scotland Waters, (d) Area VIId and (e) Area VIIe [85507]
§ Mr. MorleyThe measures include the annual TACs—and quotas regulations, the cod and hake recovery plans and the discard action plan.
§ Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which sections of the Fisheries Act 1981 and its amendments and attachments will be used to continue the present fisheries management system if no new system is put in place by 1 January 2003. [85509]
§ Mr. MorleyIf no new system is put into place on 1 January 2003, the existing CFP arrangements will roll over automatically with one exception. The arrangements providing for restricted access to the six and twelve mile zones will lapse. The Fisheries Act 1981 has no relevance in this regard.
§ Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of(a) sand eel and (b) Norway pout Norway has been allowed to catch in European Union waters in each of the last five years. [85510]
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§ Mr. MorleyThe data requested are set out in the table.
tones Norway pout Sand eel 1998 20,000 30,000 1999 20,000 30,000 2000 20,000 30,000 2001 10,000 30,000 2002 5,000 35,000
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she intends to take to prevent the killing of dolphins in UK waters as a result of fishery bycatch. [86255]
§ Mr. MorleyReducing the incidental bycatch of small cetaceans will require action on the part of all member states involved in the fisheries concerned, not just the UK. Defra has already committed some £140,000 for trials into the use of exclusion devices developed by the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) to reduce the bycatch of cetaceans in pelagic trawl fisheries. The trial has been resumed in order to refine the system and further assess the grid's effectiveness in protecting dolphins and maintaining fish catch rates. If SMRU's trials are not successful, we will look at other mitigating measures and I do not rule out any approach at this stage—including arguing for restrictions on fishing, gear or seasonal closures.